BBC - Religions - Christianity: The Feast of the Annunciation The Feast of the Annunciation Last updated 2009-06-16 The Christian celebration of the Annunciation on the 25th March marks the angel Gabriel's visit to Mary. On this page The Feast of the Annunciation Mary and Jesus © The feast of the Annunciation marks the visit of the angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary, during which he told her that she would be the mother of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. It is celebrated on 25 March each year. More importantly, since it occurs 9 months before the birth of Jesus on Christmas Day, the Annunciation marks the actual incarnation of Jesus Christ - the moment that Jesus was conceived and that the Son of God became the son of the Virgin. The festival has been celebrated since the 5th century AD.

The festival celebrates two things: God's action in entering the human world as Jesus in order to save humanity Humanity's willing acceptance of God's action in Mary's freely given acceptance of the task of being the Mother of God The Annunciation and the liturgy The story of the Annunciation has produced three important liturgical texts, the Ave Maria, the Angelus, and the Magnificat. The angel's greeting to Mary, which is traditionally translated as "Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee," (in Latin Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum) is the opening of the Ave Maria, and a part of the Rosary prayers. The Angelus consists of three Ave Marias, together with some additional material. It is said three times a day in the Roman Catholic Church. The Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55) is the poem with which Mary responds to the Annunciation and celebrates the power of God.

Political implications of the Annunciation Some feminist theologians find the story of the Assumption portrays women as unacceptably submissive and as colluding with the idea that "women's only claim to fame is the capacity to have babies." They interpret Mary's behaviour as demonstrating passive subordination to male power. Simone de Beauvoir wrote: For the first time in human history the mother kneels before her son: she freely accepts her inferiority. This is the supreme masculine victory, consummated in the cult of the Virgin. Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex, 1952 Other writers have a different interpretation. They don't see Mary as powerless before God, but instead as a woman who makes a free choice to accept God's task for her - a task she could have refused. Mary's acceptance of the role of servant is not, they teach, demeaning, and they point out that Jesus also regarded himself as a servant. And taking up the example of the disciples, they see Mary, through her act of faith, exercising her right to believe what she wants and to cooperate with God in his plan of salvation - a plan that he cannot carry out without her.

Other writers suggest that the story of the Annunciation emphasises the status of women, since in the Incarnation God enlists the help of a woman to create a child of vast importance, and gives men no part to play in this important work. And in the Magnificat itself, Mary becomes the herald of Salvation, and takes Christianity into the spheres of politics and justice as the first spokesperson for the marginalised people who were the focus of Jesus, and are now the focus of Christians and the Church. The Bible story of the Annunciation The story is told in Luke's Gospel, 1: 26-38. In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you." Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favour with God.

You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end." "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God." "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her. Luke 1:26-38, NIV Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society What is the Feast of the Annunciation? When is the Feast of Annunciation Celebrated?

The Annunciation (also called the Feast of the Annunciation) celebrates the announcement given by the archangel Gabriel to Mary that she would conceive and give birth to the Son of God. The feast is observed on March 25th, which is nine months before the Christmas celebration of the birth of Jesus. This date also coincides with the observance of Good Friday , when Holy Week occurs in the month of March. The correlation between the conception of Christ and his death falling on the same day follows a doctrinal belief of the early Church, which proposed that many of the major events in the Bible coincided with the Spring Equinox. Events such as the creation of the Earth, the creation of Adam, the fall of Lucifer, and the crossing of the Red Sea are all purported to have occurred on March 25th. Calculations of this nature, which were popular during the Middle Ages in conjunction with the spread of Christianity in Northern Europe, underpin the observance of many Christian holy days during the solstice and equinox periods of the calendar year. The date for the celebration of the Annunciation proved advantageous for the Church in terms of incorporating more Christian theology among the pagan tribes of Europe.

History of the Annunciation The origin of the feast can be traced back to the early fifth century. It began in the Eastern Church during the time of the council of Ephesus, in AD 431, and became an observance in the Western Church around AD 496. From its inception, there were major differences in the central theme of the feast. The Eastern Church centered the feast on the conception of Christ and His incarnation as the Son of God. The focus of the celebration was God's power as manifested through the Holy Spirit to birth the humanity of the Christ, a being free from the taint of sin. Christ, in turn, would begin a new generation of the children of God, born of the Spirit through the redemption of His sacrifice. For the Western Church, the Annunciation is a feast honoring the Virgin Mary as the mother of Christ. The emphasis of the celebration is placed on her acceptance of this honor as the fulfillment of the prophecy written in Isaiah 7:14. It is from this feast that the "Hail Mary" recitation of the Rosary and the Magnificat of Vespers have become a steadfast part of Catholic tradition.

For the Universal Church, the Annunciation was a feast of obligation until the early twentieth century, when it was relegated to Sunday Mass. The Feast of the Annunciation held a particularly important aspect for western civilization. Since the early church believed that God created the earth in the spring, March 25th was also the observance of the New Year throughout much of the western world. During the Middle Ages, as the Church grew in power, the Ecclesiastical calendar often took precedence over the Julian calendar. As a result, a variety of time-marking styles developed, placing the New Year at different times throughout the ecclesiastical year. One such style was the Annunciation Style, which was used in some parts of Europe, particularly in England, where the Feast of Annunciation was known as "Lady Day". These differing styles eventually created confusion when traveling from one region to another, prompting Pope Gregory XIII to initiate the Gregorian calendar in 1582. The Gregorian calendar adopted the Julian date of January 1st as the New Year. England and its colonies continued with the Annunciation Style of the ecclesiastical calendar until adopting the Gregorian in 1752.

In our time, the Feast of the Annunciation continues to be observed in the Catholic Church. However, with the requirement of obligation removed, many Catholics often do not pay tribute to the observance, except at Sunday Mass. For Christians everywhere, the Annunciation can be a reminder of the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers as we are transformed into a people filled and guided by spirit. Our Product Ambassadors are ready to introduce you to our full product offering 888-317-4018 The Orthodox Faith - Volume II - Worship - The Church Year - Annunciation - Orthodox Church in America The Church Year Annunciation The feast of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary comes nine months before Christmas on the twenty-fifth of March. It is the celebration of the announcing of the birth of Christ to the Virgin Mary as recorded in the Gospel of Saint Luke. In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.

And he came to her and said, “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of His kingdom there will be no end.” And Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no husband?” And the angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the Child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, your kinswoman Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren.

For with God nothing will be impossible.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her (Lk 1.26–38). The services of the feast of the Annunciation, the Matins and the Divine Liturgy, stress again and again the joyous news of the salvation of men in the birth of the Saviour. Today is the beginning of our salvation, the revelation of the eternal mystery. The Son of God becomes the Son of the virgin, as Gabriel announces the coming of Grace. Together with him let us cry to the Theotokos: Rejoice, O Full of Grace, the Lord is with you (Troparion). A special feature of this feast is the Matinal Canon which has the character of a dialogue between the Archangel Gabriel and the Virgin Mary. Also among the more popular elements of the feast is the Magnification which has the form of our own salutation to the virgin mother with the words of the archangel: With the voice of the archangel we cry to Thee, O Pure One: Rejoice, O Full of Grace, the Lord is with Thee!

(Magnification). The celebration of the Annunciation, therefore, is the feast of our own reception of the glad tidings of salvation, and our own glorification of the maiden Mary who becomes the Mother of God in the flesh. Because the feast of the Annunciation normally comes during the season of Great Lent, the manner of celebration varies from year to year depending upon the particular day on which it falls. If the feast comes on a weekday of Lent, which is the most common case, the Divine Liturgy of the feast is served in the evening with Vespers and thus is celebrated after a full day of total abstinence. When this ­happens, the fasting rules for the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts are followed. The Divine Liturgy of the Annunciation is the only celebration of the eucharistic liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom allowed on a weekday of Great Lent. On the Feast of the Annunciation (March 25) | Orthodox Christian Parenting On the Feast of the Annunciation (March 25) Leave a reply The Feast of the Annunciation is a very important feast of the Faith. Did you ever stop and think about why that is true?

Why is the Annunciation one of the twelve great feasts of the Church? Let us take a moment to think about what happened at the Annunciation, so that we can be better prepared to lead our family in celebrating this great feast. When we stop and think about it, we can see that each part of this event is notable of its own accord, and together, all are essential for our salvation. It began when the Angel Gabriel announced to the Virgin Mary that she had been chosen by God to bear His Son.The fact that this angel appeared shows that the event was significant, for he is sent whenever God has an important message to convey. God’s selection of Mary to become the Theotokos is a critical part of the event, since she was a holy young lady who had consecrated her life to God’s service. Her agreement, “Let it be to me as you say,” is a vitally important piece as well, because it simultaneously demonstrates Mary’s humility before God and her willingness to obey. Also noteworthy is the fact that this event marks the moment in history when a person became the first Christian, for after the Annunciation, the Theotokos truly had Christ living within her.

But the most significant aspect of the Annunciation is in what it announces; what came about as a result of both the announcement and the ensuing humble submission to God’s will. And that is this; at the Annunciation, God Himself became human. This mystery is both mind-boggling and crucial. Christ’s taking on flesh and dwelling among us was necessary so that He could die, break the power of death over us, and rise again, raising us to life as well. What humility! What love! After giving it a little thought, we can see that the Feast of the Annunciation is truly a big deal for so many reasons! Even the other feasts of the church year would not exist without it! In addition, March 25 falls exactly nine months before Christmas, and is therefore is the date of the Annunciation. How wonderfully not-so-coincidental it is that the date of this Feast falls right in the midst of Great Lent each year, for it reminds us of Christ’s humility and the Theotokos’ obedience. Both humility and obedience are things that we are working on in our own lives, especially during Great Lent! The Annunciation reminds us of what God can do when both are exercised perfectly.

Let us accordingly prepare our family to celebrate this great feast! “Today is the beginning of our salvation, and the manifestation of the mystery from the ages; for the Son of God becometh the Son of the Virgin, and Gabriel proclaimeth grace. Wherefore, do we shout with him to the Theotokos: Rejoice, O full of grace! The Lord is with thee.” ~ Apolytikion of the Annunciation Blessed Feast of the Annunciation! Here are a few ideas of things that we can do with our family to learn together about the Annunciation: * Read Luke 1:26-39 together. Encourage your children to act it out; either in person, or using toy characters. After they act out the story, encourage them to think about it. Help them to think about how the Theotokos must have felt when she was working and suddenly there was an angel there with her. How might she have felt about what He had to say to her? How did she respond, even though she must have been feeling all of those things? What can we learn from her and her response? * “St.

Philaret of Moscow boldly stated that ‘the word of the creature brought the Creator down into the world.’ He explains that salvation is not merely an act of God’s will, but also involves the Virgin’s free will. She could have refused, but she accepted God’s will and chose to cooperate without complaint or further questions.” Find this quote and more in a blog post about the Annunciation at: * Find a beautiful description of the details in the icon of the Annunciation here: . Encourage children to look at the icon while you read about the details and discuss how each detail contributes to the story and/or their significance. * Learn together with older children by inviting them to join you and delve into St. Gregory the Wonderworker’s homily on the Annunciation. An English translation of the homily is found here: . Divide your group and the homily into sections and have each group focus on one section for a few minutes. Ask each person to find their favorite part of that section and be prepared to explain why it stands out to them. Then, slowly read over the homily, discussing the parts that “stood out” along the way. Invite all participants to offer insights and/or connections that they have along the way.

* Here are a variety of things to do with children to help them celebrate the Feast of the Annunciation: * GOARCH offers a family devotional time focusing on the Annunciation here: Share this: CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: The Feast of the Annunciation Home > Catholic Encyclopedia > A > The Feast of the Annunciation The Feast of the Annunciation Help support New Advent and get the full contents of this website as an instant download . Includes the Catholic Encyclopedia, Church Fathers, Summa, Bible and more  all for only $19.99... The Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (25 March), also called in old calendars : FESTUM INCARNATIONIS, INITIUM REDEMPTIONIS CONCEPTIO CHRISTI, ANNUNTIATIO CHRISTI, ANNUNTIATIO DOMINICA. In the Orient, where the part which Mary took in the Redemption is celebrated by a special feast, 26 December, the Annunciation is a feast of Christ; in the Latin Church , it is a feast of Mary. It probably originated shortly before or after the council of Ephesus (c. 431).

At the time of the Synod of Laodicea (372) it was not known; St. Proclus , Bishop of Constantinople (d. 446), however, seems to mention it in one of his homilies . He says, that the feast of the coming of Our Lord and Saviour , when He vested Himself with the nature of man (quo hominum genus indutus), was celebrated during the entire fifth century. This homily , however, may not be genuine, or the words may be understood of the feast of Christmas . In the Latin Church this feast is first mentioned in the Sacramentarium of Pope Gelasius (d. 496), which we possess in a manuscript of the seventh century; it is also contained in the Sacramentarium of St. Gregory (d. 604), one manuscript of which dates back to the eighth century.

Since these sacramentaries contain additions posterior to the time of Gelasius and Gregory , Duchesne (Origines du culte chrétien, 118, 261) ascribes the origin of this feast in Rome to the seventh century; Probst, however, (Sacramentarien, 264) thinks that it really belongs to the time of Pope Gelasius. The tenth Synod of Toledo (656), and Trullan Synod (692) speak of this feast as one universally celebrated in the Catholic Church . All Christian antiquity (against all astronomical possibility) recognized the 25th of March as the actual day of Our Lord's death. The opinion that the Incarnation also took place on that date is found in the pseudo-Cyprianic work "De Pascha Computus", c. 240. It argues that the coming of Our Lord and His death must have coincided with the creation and fall of Adam. And since the world was created in spring, the Saviour was also conceived and died shortly after the equinox of spring.

Similar fanciful calculations are found in the early and later Middle Ages , and to them, no doubt, the dates of the feast of the Annunciation and of Christmas owe their origin. Consequently the ancient martyrologies assign to the 25th of March the creation of Adam and the crucifixion of Our Lord ; also, the fall of Lucifer, the passing of Israel through the Red Sea and the immolation of Isaac. (Thruston, Christmas and the Christian Calendar, Amer. Eccl. Rev., XIX, 568.) The original date of this feast was the 25th of March. Although in olden times most of the churches kept no feast in Lent , the Greek Church in the Trullan Synod (in 692; can. 52) made an exception in favour of the Annunciation. In Rome , it was always celebrated on the 25th of March. The Spanish Church transferred it to the 18th of December, and when some tried to introduce the Roman observance of it on the 25th of March, the 18th of December was officially confirmed in the whole Spanish Church by the tenth Synod of Toledo (656).

This law was abolished when the Roman liturgy was accepted in Spain . The church of Milan , up to our times, assigns the office of this feast to the last Sunday in Advent . On the 25th of March a Mass is sung in honour of the Annunciation. (Ordo Ambrosianus, 1906; Magistretti, Beroldus, 136.) The schismatic Armenians now celebrate this feast on the 7th of April. Since Epiphany for them is the feast of the birth of Christ , the Armenian Church formerly assigned the Annunciation to 5 January, the vigil of Epiphany. This feast was always a holy day of obligation in the Universal Church. As such it was abrogated first for France and the French dependencies, 9 April, 1802; and for the United States , by the Third Council of Baltimore , in 1884. By a decree of the S.R.C., 23 April, 1895, the rank of the feast was raised from a double of the second class to a double of the first class.

If this feast falls within Holy Week or Easter Week , its office is transferred to the Monday after the octave of Easter . In some German churches it was the custom to keep its office the Saturday before Palm Sunday if the 25th of March fell in Holy Week . The Greek Church , when the 25th of March occurs on one of the three last days in Holy Week , transfers the Annunciation to Easter Monday; on all other days, even on Easter Sunday , its office is kept together with the office of the day. Although no octaves are permitted in Lent , the Dioceses of Loreto and of the Province of Venice , the Carmelites , Dominicans , Servites , and Redemptorists , celebrate this feast with an octave. Holy Annunciation Orthodox Church - Feast of the Annunciation About Our Parish - Feast of the Annunciation Troparion - The Annunciation to our Most-Holy Lady, the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary Today is the beginning of our salvation, the revelation of the eternal mystery! The Son of God becomes the Son of the Virgin as Gabriel announces the coming of Grace.

Together with him let us cry to the Theotokos: Rejoice, O Full of Grace, the Lord is with you. Commemorated on March 25 THE ANNUNCIATION OF THE MOST HOLY THEOTOKOS The Feast of the Annunciation is one of the earliest Christian feasts, and was already being celebrated in the fourth century. ... The Greek and Slavonic names for the Feast may be translated as "good tidings." This, of course, refers to the Incarnation of the Son of God and the salvation He brings. The background of the Annunciation is found in the Gospel of St Luke (1:26-38). The troparion describes this as the "beginning of our salvation, and the revelation of the eternal mystery," for on this day the Son of God became the Son of Man. There are two main components to the Annunciation: the message itself, and the response of the Virgin.

The message fulfills God's promise to send a Redeemer (Genesis 3:15): "I will put enmity between you and the woman, between your seed and her seed; he shall crush your head, and you shall lie in wait for his heel." The Fathers of the Church understand "her seed" to refer to Christ. The prophets hinted at His coming, which they saw dimly, but the Archangel Gabriel now proclaims that the promise is about to be fulfilled. ... The Archangel Gabriel was sent by God to Nazareth in Galilee. There he spoke to the undefiled Virgin who was betrothed to St Joseph: "Hail, thou who art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus.

He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end." In contrast to Eve, who was readily deceived by the serpent, the Virgin did not immediately accept the Angel's message. In her humility, she did not think she was deserving of such words, but was actually troubled by them. The fact that she asked for an explanation reveals her sobriety and prudence. She did not disbelieve the words of the angel, but could not understand how they would be fulfilled, for they spoke of something which was beyond nature. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?" (Luke 1:34). "And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee: therefore also that which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.

For with God nothing shall be impossible.' And Mary said, 'Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.' And the angel departed from her" (Luke 1: 35-38)." ... The icon of the Feast shows the Archangel with a staff in his left hand, indicating his role as a messenger. Sometimes one wing is upraised, as if to show his swift descent from heaven. His right hand is stretched toward the holy Virgin as he delivers his message. The Virgin is depicted either standing or sitting, usually holding yarn in her left hand. Sometimes she is shown holding a scroll. Her right hand may be raised to indicate her surprise at the message she is hearing. Her head is bowed, showing her consent and obedience. The descent of the Holy Spirit upon her is depicted by a ray of light issuing from a small sphere at the top of the icon, which symbolizes heaven. In a famous icon from Sinai, a white dove is shown in the ray of light. ... The Annunciation falls during Lent, but it is always celebrated with great joy. The Liturgy of St Basil or St John Chrysostom is served, even on the weekdays of Lent.

It is one of the two days of Great Lent on which the fast is relaxed and fish is permitted (Palm Sunday is the other). Sections of text taken from the OCA Web Site. View the full-text version and icon at: Annunciation | Religion-wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Annunciation by Paolo de Matteis , 1712. The Annunciation is the Christian celebration of the announcement to Mary by the angel Gabriel that she would become the Theotokos (God-bearer). Even though a virgin , Mary would conceive a child who would be the Son of God . Gabriel told Mary to name her son Jesus (“ Yahweh delivers”). Most of Christianity observes this event with the Feast of the Annunciation on 25 March . According to the Bible , the Annunciation occurred in “the sixth month” of Elizabeth's pregnancy (Luke 1:26) with the child who would become known as John the Baptist . This celebration of Jesus′ incarnation falls nine months before that of his Nativity . The date of the Annunciation also marked the New Year in many places, including England , where it is called Lady Day .

Both the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches hold that the Annunciation took place at Nazareth , but differ as to the precise location. The Church of the Annunciation marks the site preferred by the former, while the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation marks that of the latter. The annunciation has been a key topic in Christian art in general, as well as in Roman Catholic Marian art , particularly during the Middle Ages and Renaissance . Contents The Annunciation in the Bible A series of articles on edit In the Bible, the Annunciation is narrated in the book of Luke, Chapter 1, verses 26-38 ( WEB ): 26Now in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, 27to a virgin pledged to be married to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28Having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, you highly favored one! The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women!” 29But when she saw him, she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered what kind of salutation this might be.

30The angel said to her, “Don’t be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31Behold, you will conceive in your womb, and bring forth a son, and will call his name ‘Jesus.’ 32He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father, David, 33and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever. There will be no end to his Kingdom.” 34Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, seeing I am a virgin?” 35The angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore also the holy one who is born from you will be called the Son of God. 36Behold, Elizabeth, your relative, also has conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37For everything spoken by God is possible.” 38Mary said, “Behold, the handmaid of the Lord; be it to me according to your word.” The angel departed from her.

Eastern traditions In Eastern Christianity Mary is referred to as Theotokos (Θεοτόκος="God-bearer"). The traditional Troparion (hymn for the day) of the Annunciation is: Today is the beginning of our salvation, And the revelation of the eternal mystery! The Son of God becomes the Son of the Virgin As Gabriel announces the coming of Grace. Together with him let us cry to the Theotokos: "Rejoice, O Full of Grace, the Lord is with you!" The Feast of the Annunciation is one of the twelve Great Feasts of the church year. As the action initiating the Incarnation of Christ , Annunciation has such an important place in Eastern theology that the Festal Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom is always celebrated on March 25, regardless of what day it falls on—even if it falls on Pascha (Easter Sunday) itself, a coincidence which is called Kyriopascha . The only time the Divine Liturgy may be celebrated on Great and Holy Friday is if it falls on March 25. Due to this, the rubrics regarding the celebration of the feast are the most complicated of all in Eastern liturgics.

The Annunciation is called Euangelismos (Evangelism) in Greek , literally meaning "spreading the Good News". Related dates The Annunciation, by El Greco (1575) In the Roman Catholic , Anglican , and Lutheran liturgical calendars , the feast is moved if necessary to prevent it from falling during Holy Week or Easter Week or on a Sunday. To avoid a Sunday before Holy Week, the next day ( March 26 ) would be observed instead. In years such as 2008 when March 25 falls during Holy Week or Easter Week, the Annunciation is moved to the Monday after Octave of Easter , which is the Sunday after Easter. [1] It might be thought that with a very early Easter, the feast of St Joseph would be displaced from 19 March to the Monday after Easter week, thus displacing the Annunciation to the Tuesday. However, in the Roman Catholic calendar, if the Feast of St Joseph , normally falling on March 19 , must also be moved as a consequence of Easter falling on one of its earliest possible dates, it is moved to an earlier rather than a later date. This will normally be the Saturday before Holy Week.

(This change was announced by the Congregation for Divine Worship in Notitiae March-April, 2006 (475-476, page 96).) In the Church of England , it is moved to the Tuesday after Easter Week, following the Annunciation on the Monday, which is of higher rank and takes precedence. The Eastern churches ( Eastern Orthodox , Oriental and Eastern Catholic ) do not move the feast of the Annunciation under any circumstance. They have special combined liturgies for those years when the Annunciation coincides with another feast. In these churches, even on Good Friday a Divine Liturgy is celebrated when it coincides with the Annunciation. One of the most frequent accusations brought against New Calendarism is the fact that in the New Calendar churches (which celebrate the Annunciation according to the New Calendar , but Easter according to the Old Calendar ), these special Liturgies can never be celebrated any more, since the Annunciation is always long before Holy Week on the New Calendar. The Old Calendarists believe that this impoverishes the liturgical and spiritual life of the Church.

File:Damiane4.jpg The date is close to the vernal equinox , as Christmas is to the winter solstice ; because of this the Annunciation and Christmas were two of the four " Quarter days " in medieval and early modern England, which marked the divisions of the fiscal year (the other two were Midsummer Day , or the Nativity of St. John the Baptist — June 24 —and Michaelmas , the feast day of St. Michael , on September 29 ). When the calendar system of Anno Domini was first introduced by Dionysius Exiguus in AD 525, he assigned the beginning of the new year to March 25, since according to Christian theology, the era of grace began with the Incarnation of Christ . The first authentic allusions to it are in a canon , of the Council of Toledo (656), and another of the Council of Constantinople " in Trullo " (692), forbidding the celebration of any festivals during Lent , excepting the Lord's Day (Sunday) and the Feast of the Annunciation.

An earlier origin has been claimed for it on the ground that it is mentioned in sermons of Athanasius and of Gregory Thaumaturgus , but both of these documents are now admitted to be spurious. A synod held at Worcester , England (1240), forbade all servile work on this feast day. See further Lady Day . Theories on the origins of the Feast Thomas J. Talley, S.J., cites an observation of the nineteenth century liturgical scholar Louis Duchesne that “fractions are imperfections which do not fall in with the demands of a symbolical system of numbers.” [2] In this connection, Talley notes the well-known tendency of rabbinic thought to have the births and deaths of the Old Testament patriarchs on the same day of the year, either in during Passover in Nisan or to Tabernacles in Tishri. It would therefore have been natural for the Jewish Christians, for theological reasons, to develop a similar tradition about Jesus Christ.

He cites an early Christian tractate, 'De solstitiia et aequinoctia conceptionis et nativitatis domini nostri iesu Christi et iohannis baptista', which, evoking the tradition that the angel Gabriel appeared to Zechariah in the Holy of Holies when he was serving as high priest on the Day of Atonement, would have placed the conception of John the Baptist during the feast of Tabernacles and his birth nine months later at the time of the summer solstice. Since Luke’s gospel states that the Angel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary in the sixth month after John’s conception, this would place the conception of Christ at about the time of the spring equinox, i.e., at the time of the Jewish Passover and his birth at the time of the winter solstice. This would mean that the early Christian community had modified the earlier Jewish tradition to associate the beginning of the lives of both John the Baptist and of Christ with their conception, rather than with their births.

He quotes the 'De solstitiia' as explicitly stating this in an almost laconic way: “Therefore, our O Lord was conceived on the eighth of the calends of April in the month of March, which is the day of the passion of the Lord and of his conception. For on the day that he was conceived on the same he suffered.” Talley notes that Augustine was also aware of this tradition and cites it in his De Trinitate IV,5. [3] Talley also points out that a similar tradition of dating of the passion and death of Christ on April 6 in the Eastern Church gives one the date of January 6 as the day of Christ’s birth, a tradition which lasted long in the Eastern Church, especially in the Jerusalem Church and is still the day celebrated as the Nativity of Christ in the Armenian Church. Quran The Annunciation by Leonardo da Vinci (1472-1475) Uffizi Gallery . The Annunciation is one of the most frequent subjects of artistic representation in both the Christian East and as Roman Catholic Marian art , particularly during the Middle Ages and Renaissance , and figures in the repertoire of almost all of the great masters.

The figures of the Virgin Mary and the Archangel Gabriel, being emblematic of purity and grace, were favorite subjects of Roman Catholic Marian art . Because the natural composition of the scene–two parallel figures, often elegantly clad–the subject was often employed in the decoration of a diptych or tympaneum (decorated arch above a doorway). In the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Annunciation is typically depicted on the Holy Doors (decorative doorway leading from the nave into the sanctuary ). Annunciation by Fabrizio Boschi , 17th century In Roman Catholic Marian art , scenes depicting the annunciations are also used to represent the dogma of perpetual virginity , via the announcement by the Archangel Gabriel that Mary would conceive a child to be born the prophet of god. Frescos depicting this scene have appeared in Roman Catholic Marian churches for centuries, and it has been a topic addressed by many artists in multiple media, ranging from stained glass to mosaic , to relief , to sculpture to oil painting. [4] It has been one of the most frequent subjects of Christian art, particularly during the Middle Ages and Renaissance.

The figures of the Virgin Mary and the Archangel Gabriel, being emblematic of purity and grace, were favorite subjects of many painters such as Sandro Botticelli , Leonardo de Vinci , Caravaggio , Duccio and Murillo among others. The mosaics of Pietro Cavallini in Santa Maria in Trastevere in Rome (1291), the frescos of Giotto in the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua (1303), Domenico Ghirlandaio 's fresco at the church of Santa Maria Novella in Florence (1486), and Donatello 's gilded sculpture at the church of Santa Croce, Florence (1435) are famous examples. Gallery of Annunciation in Art Annunciation - OrthodoxWiki Annunciation Jump to: navigation , search The Annunciation to the Theotokos The Annunciation (or Evangelismos in Greek) to the Theotokos is one of the Great Feasts of the Orthodox Church , celebrated on March 25 . Greeks also celebrate Greek Independence Day this day. This is one of only two days during Lent , the other being Palm Sunday , when fish is permitted.

According to the Gospel of Luke 1:26-38, the Archangel Gabriel appeared to Mary to announce to her that she would conceive and bear a son, even though she "knew no man." According to holy tradition Mary had come home to her parents when she was only fifteen when she was visited by Gabriel. This date was selected by the Church Fathers to be exactly nine months ahead of the Nativity of Our Lord (or vice-versa?), indicating that Christ was conceived in perfection at that time "of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary," as stated in the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed . Many men and women in Greece are named for this event and celebrate their name day on this date. Greek: Evangelia (f) and Evangelos (m) English: Evangeline (f) and Evan and Angelo (m) In Arabic traditions, the names Bechara, Beshara, or Bashar (all of which mean "good news") are used by men for whom this feast is also their name day. Contents 5 External links Celebration of the feast The feast of the Annunciation normally falls during the season of Great Lent , but it is still a joyous day.

The fast is lessened, with fish allowed on this day. If the feast comes on a weekday of Lent, the Divine Liturgy of the feast is served in the evening with Vespers (in some traditions). When this happens, the fasting rules for the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts are followed. The Divine Liturgy of the Annunciation is the only celebration of the Eucharistic liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom allowed on a weekday of Great Lent. If the feast falls on the same day as Pascha , the resultant festival is called Kyriopascha and is celebrated with special rubrics . Presently, Kyriopascha is possible only among the churches that observe the old style or traditional Julian calendar or the Gregorian calendar (that is, Finland and Estonia ). Greek traditions Many people make a pilgrimage as a special tribute to the Theotokos on the island of Tinos. Thousands of pilgrims jam the docks and city streets to visit the Church of Evangelistria (Tinos, Greece) that safeguards a miraculous healing icon of the Theotokos. Revealed in a vision, it was found buried in a field in 1823, and the church was built to house it.

Pilgrims bring items of precious metals and other gifts to leave at the church. On August 15 ( Dormition of the Theotokos) and March 25 the icon is carried through town in a grand procession. Hymns O Victorious Leader of Triumphant Hosts! We, your servants, delivered from evil, sing our grateful thanks to you, O Theotokos! As you possess invincible might, set us free from every calamity So that we may sing: Rejoice, O unwedded Bride! Forefeast hymns Today is the prelude of joy for the universe! Let us anticipate the feast and celebrate with exultation: Gabriel is on his way to announce the glad tidings to the Virgin; He is ready to cry out in fear and wonder: Rejoice, O Full of Grace, the Lord is with You! Kontakion (Tone 8) You are the beginning of salvation for all of us on earth, Virgin Mother of God. For the great Archangel Gabriel, God's minister, Was sent from heaven to stand before you to bring you joy: Therefore, we all cry to you: Rejoice, O unwedded Bride.

See also Magnificat - also called the Song of the Theotokos Wikipedia

Question: In which month is the Feast of the Annunciation in the Christian church
Answer: March